A variety of different dry-type vacuum cleaners are available for a variety of uses ranging from heavy duty rug and carpet cleaners, light duty rug and carpet cleaners for cleaning small spills and crumbs, and compact hand-held cleaners for cleaning cushions, pillows, stair treads and the like. There have also been developed cleaners particularly designed or equipped with conversion tools to be used for special purposes such as removal of spider webs near the ceiling, drapery valences, and other hard to reach areas.
In recent years, due to the introduction of plastics and substantial improvements in the design of electric motors for this type of equipment, the bulk and weight of these machines have been reduced substantially. Also, the development of compact rechargeable, heavy duty batteries has made possible the so-called "cordless vacuum cleaner." However, there remains the problem that the machines are limited to one or two functions. For other functions, it has been necessary to have a second tool or a bulky and clumsy conversion kit. Such tools and conversion kits are necessary because the vacuums are too large or bulky to lift above the head to clean out of reach areas or tight areas.
Stick vacuums, that is hand-held vacuums attached to the end of a rod, were designed to be used to clean carpets or floors from a standing position, or to clean hard to reach areas such as ceilings, drapery valences, and the like. However, a majority of the stick-vacs proved awkward to handle since substantially all of the weight of the vacuum was disposed at the far end of the wand. When used above or off the floor, the mass of the vacuum at the end of the wand requires the operator to exert a great deal of energy in suspending the vacuum at the end of the wand. Moreover, accessory cleaning tools were stored separate from the portion of the vacuum being held by the user, making them rather awkward to access.